Author Archives: Julian Coldrey

T'Gallant Juliet Pinot Grigio 2007

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Cheap Pinot Grigio — surely I’m tempting fate. Nevertheless, this wine is in a super pretty bottle with a label that exists without paper. How could I say no? I’ve not tried either wine from T’Gallant’s budget “Juliet” range, and it’s always nice to see well priced wine from the Mornington Peninsula, so let’s see how we go with this one.


A generous, clean aroma of non-specific fruit that hovers around pear and apple but, dare I say it, is mostly “grapey” in character. Hence, it has the (considerable) appeal of fresh juice rather than anything more challengingly vinous. Quite simple, though. The entry is easygoing and widens to a light/medium bodied palate that shows mostly more of the grapey fruit character seen on the nose. In terms of structure, the wine is quite light on acid, such that mouthfeel is fresh but lacking a little in “zing,” especially as the wine warms. Phenolics are a little more present as the wine progresses towards the after palate, but again these are subtle and contribute a slight savoury note (herbal, perhaps) and some roughening of mouthfeel. Quite a satisfying finish, with phenolics carrying some sweet fruit flavour through with good length.

A well judged wine that is terribly easy to drink. It’s almost entirely lacking in sophistication, but for its intended purpose, who cares? Serve well chilled with food.

Price: $A14
Closure: Stelvin
Date tasted: January 2008

Trinity Hill Gimblett Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

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According to Trinity Hill, this wine is made only in vintages of a certain quality, the previous release being a 1998 wine. This 2002 is the current release and was purchased at cellar door a few weeks ago.
Characteristic dustiness is most noticeable on the nose, along with equally typical cassis fruit aromas and some supporting cedar oak. Some age is evident, not through any prominence of tertiary aromas but from good integration of flavour components, each seeming to melt into the other in a relaxed fashion. Good balance. Entry is smooth and fairly immediate, with fruit flavour registering quite quickly on the palate. The middle palate shows the same dustiness as the nose, but which here comes across as an attractive gravel note. Slightly simple red and black berry fruits sit underneath and are propped up by more savoury oak. As with the nose, flavours are well integrated. Weight is medium bodied at most, and the wine gives an overall impression of elegance rather than power. Fruit flavour continues linearly through the after palate, rising attractively towards a finish of fine, chalky tannins. Satisfying length.
I wondered at some points whether it lacks a little in intensity on the palate, but perhaps it’s a stylistic thing rather than an absence of flavour. I suspect a lot of people will enjoy this interpretation of Cabernet, which is stylish without being a showpony of a wine. It could certainly sit longer in bottle if you were so inclined, though it’s drinking well now. We had this wine with Wagyu rump and it matched the beef really well, all flavours intermingling deliciously.
Trinity HillPrice: $NZ29Closure: CorkDate tasted: January 2008

Unison Vineyard Unison 2006

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This wine is Unison Vineyard’s signature wine, along with the “reserve” level Unison Selection. It’s a blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from Estate grapes. The proportions of the blend are not specified, and deliberately so. When I queried Unison about this, I was told it views the Unison wine as a style whose blend may vary from year to year, so the exact percentage of each variety is really beside the point. It’s nice to encounter a producer with such a clear, confident vision.


Red-purple colour, not massively dense, pretty. The nose immediately presents bright, sweet red fruits within a billowy arena of pepper and dried flowers. It’s striking and bold, full of character, if a little simple and gangly. There’s good intensity on the nose and it showed consistency through the evening, with perhaps each element calming a little with time in glass. The entry and middle palate are equally forward, showing great line from nose to palate. The same flavour profile of

De Bortoli Windy Peak Pinot Noir 2007

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More quaffers for me, including this one, which is a ridiculously cheap Pinot Noir. Already two things in its favour as far as I’m concerned. Grapes are from various regions in Victoria, including the Yarra and King Valleys.
Perfumed, lively nose showing strawberry-like red fruits and perhaps a little stalk. I’m not going to kid you and say there’s any significant complexity, but the fruit is varietal, clean and tasty. The light to medium bodied palate is surprisingly generous, with only a slight hint of the flavour dilution that marks this wine as a budget offering. Fruit flavour itself is attractive, with a delicious sourness adding itself to the simple red fruits observed on the nose. Again there’s slight stalkiness and well balanced acid to keep things moving. Mouthfeel is a highlight; it’s delicately textural without ever becoming coarse. The wine’s finish is light on tannin and of adequate length. If there’s any oak here, I couldn’t taste it.
I’m chuffed that $12 buys a Pinot of clearly varietal character, cleverly made in a style that rewards immediate consumption with food. We had this with salmon, and the combination was rewarding, the fish bringing the wine’s brighter flavours to the fore.
De BortoliPrice: $A12Closure: StelvinDate tasted: December 2007

Tulloch Verdelho 2006

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The things that make a successful quaffing wine can be quite different from those that make a wine rewarding to sip contemplatively. This wine is a case in point. We cracked it open last night to share amongst a group of people who just wanted some wine to go with food.


On the nose, there are aromas of tropical-ish fruit (perhaps some banana too) and a more astringent, herbal edge. It has impact (in that the flavours register easily upon sniffing) but is not a wine that dominates the moment. The palate is quite generous, surprisingly full in body, and shows a similar spectrum of fruit flavours as the nose, along with exceptionally well judged phenolics that contribute texture, freshness and the impression of astringent fresh herbs. It’s not a refined wine, but the very coarseness of each element is what makes this wine so easy to drink. It’s not a wine you have to work hard at, it gives what it has easily, and it’s balanced to encourage another sip, then another…

To return to my starting point, a good quaffer will often fly slightly “under the radar” insofar as it doesn’t stand out in any particular way, but that’s what makes one so good to drink. This wine is generous and tasty, whilst completely avoiding all the pitfalls of cheap wine — cloyingly simple flavours, lack of intensity, strange flavours, unbalanced structure (lack of or too much), etc. Great BBQ wine.

Price: $A14
Closure: Stelvin
Date tasted: December 2007

Montes Merlot 2005

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I suppose I was tempting fate by opening a cheapy after all the super Kiwi wines I’ve been having of late. However, one (or at least I) can’t drink at the $50 price point every day, so cheapies I must. We’re lucky in Australia to have a large range of reasonably priced wines that are far superior to industrial swill, so it has been reasonable to expect in the last few years that $15 or so will yield a wine of character and interest. So what does that amount of money buy one from Chile?


On the basis of this wine, a whole lot of DMS and not much else. On the nose, rather characterless with that signature DMS note of ultra blackcurrant flip-flopping with tinned corn (thankfully no two day old raw mussels). The entry is slippery and introduces a palate with more blackcurrant juice in the context of a mouthfeel that is all about smoothness. But it’s not tannin or acid smoothless, it’s actually a lack of these things that creates an almost watery effect. Certainly easy to drink, and for those challenged by a perceived “harshness” in most red wines might enjoy the ease of this wine. There are some sweet oak characters too, subtle and well judged in terms of what this wine is. Tannins start to creep in a little on the finish, but it’s nothing too harsh and doesn’t begin to challenge any other aspect of this wine.

So, what to think? Certainly, I found this wine boring to the extent of wondering what is its point. Reading the back label, the wine is described as an “elegant and refined wine with a marked fruitiness almost irresistible to Merlot lovers.” And yes, it has a “marked fruitiness” (if we accept the super blackcurrant juice flavour as fruit driven) that is inoffensive and very easy to drink. To be honest, though, there are a lot of local wines that are of considerably greater interest to this at a similar price point. 

Price: $A10
Closure: Cork
Date tasted: December 2007

Craggy Range Te Muna Road Pinot Noir 2006

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A single vineyard wine made from Martinborough grapes, made by a Hawkes Bay based winery. At cellar door, this wine smelled a bit one dimensional and fruit bright, but the other half latched on to it and suggested we get another bottle for more leisurely consumption. I’m glad I listened!A lightfooted nose of significant complexity, moving through an attractive spectrum of flavours. Bright red fruits (strawberry/cherry-like), stalk, earth, freshly baked things, a bit of vanilla, etc. There’s a lot in there, and it coheres well. The palate is similarly dextrous, and of good intensity despite being of light to medium body. Entry is slippery and fresh, leading to a middle palate full of bright flavour and interest. A good dose of acidity keeps things lively and adds impact to the wine’s flavour profile. I’ve sat with the wine all evening and it has reached a point of excellent balance between flavour components. Lots of bright fruit, but equally prominent minerality and herbal astringency, with subtle oak adding another dimension. Flavour extends well into the after palate, and the finish sings with very fine tannins and acidity. What a lovely wine. It’s both delicate and powerful, with a most attractive flavour profile. Craggy RangePrice: $NZ50Closure: StelvinDate tasted: December 2007

Black Barn Malbec 2005

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Black Barn has an interesting range of wines, including some that are unusual in the context of Hawkes Bay producers. This wine, a straight Malbec, is one of them (they also do a Sangiovese and straight Cabernet Franc in addition to a wide range of other red and white wines). I tried this at cellar door and it seemed promising at the time, so I picked up a bottle for more thorough tasting later on. Captivating, expressive nose of dried flowers (of similar character to Gimblett Gravels Syrah, though this wine is from a different sub-region in Hawkes Bay), sweet jammy Malbec fruit, some oak, some stalk/foliage. Complex without being forbidding. The entry is smooth and tactile; the point at which fruit flavour hits the tongue is quite palpable. Full bodied middle plalate is full of intensely sweet fruit, more savoury dried flowers, and toasty oak. The wine’s line continues strongly through the palate and rises a little during the after palate, creating a nice lift of flavour. The finish is characterised by fine, chocolate-like tannins that extend the wine’s flavour most satisfyingly.What a fun wine. There’s nothing super sophisticated about this number, but it’s full of flavour, shows good complexity, has character and is ready to drink right now. What’s not to like?Black BarnPrice: $NZ35Closure: DiamDate tasted: December 2007